Page 2 of Ruthless Heir

I never sold it when I needed money to leave UCLA and get far, far away.

That ring is the only thing I have left from my mother and the last connection to my father. That’s why I lost my mind and torched my lousy landlord’s car after he refused to return my things.

And… that’s how I ended up here behind bars with a five-thousand-dollar bail bond hanging over my head.

Before I can leave, the bail money would need to be paid, along with the rent arrears and damages to my landlord’s car. Knowing that asshole he’ll also most likely press charges.

My heart tightens and twists when I think of how much trouble I’m in. I’ve always been strong but this is way too much and I’m all tapped out.

I can’t help feeling like this is some kind of punishment from the universe for screwing up my second chance at life.

A second chance that was given to me four years ago after a car accident that robbed me of six years’ worth of memories. Until this day ninety percent of those memories are still locked away in my mind.

Eight months after the accident my father died and my stepmother took all his money. She left my brother, Josh, and me with nothing. We went from riches to rags with my father’s last breath.

I was still in physio and at high school when Dad died, but I was given yet another chance in a hopeless situation when Josh stepped up to take care of me.

He got leave from the Navy and practically nursed me back to health. Then he made sure I was still able to go to college to pursue my dreams of studying music and playing the violin.

Things were good until I started my sophomore year and I made one mistake I can’t take back.

I fell for a sweet-talking, manipulative, dangerous man.

A dangerous man who left me with a $100,000 debt to a loan shark while he serves a life sentence in prison for murder.

All the red flags were there with Nick but I chose not to see them.

So, thiscouldbe karma kicking my ass.

Now I sit here in jail waiting for the only person I never wanted to disappoint—Josh.

I could have called Beth, but the bail fee stopped me. She’s the only one who would have understood and shoved tonight’s disaster under the rug that covers all my other secrets.

I hated calling Josh and owning up to my lies, because he thought I was in Europe for my summer internship.

Josh went big-brother crazy when I told him where I was and what I did. He was so angry I thought he might reach through the phone and shake me until I shattered. And when he picks me up, he still might.

He must hate me so much right now.

No. Think positively.

It’s Josh. He would do anything for me. And he has.

It’s a shame he had to find out that I’m here in Nowheresville, Massachusetts. He didn’t know I’d left UCLA over three months ago, and he still doesn’t know about my huge, huge debt.And I’ll never tell him.

My plan is to attend NYU for my last year of college. I came to this little town to get a job and make payments on that bleed-me-dry loan. But nothing has worked out the way I planned.

I never got paid for the first job I had here. Later I found out they were being investigated for scamming new workers.

My job at the bar just started but I’m sure I’ve lost that, too, because my asshole landlord’s brother is my boss.

The door at the end of the cell block opens. I stand and pray that Josh is here and the guard is coming to get me out.

The big, burly guard walks in but my hopes flatline and my soul hits the floor when I see the tall, handsome man following behind him.

In absolute, utter disbelief, I stare at Asher Le Blanche. My brother’s best friend. Aka the worst person I could ever see right now.

Dressed in a charcoal-gray Kiton suit that emphasizes his solid muscles, Asher walks with the intimidation of a black panther, radiating the kind of power that makes my lungs lock.

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